Chrysalis
by Solora Goldsun
Summary: Jaune has been keeping a secret for most of his life. Now that he's a Huntsman in training, and is pursuing a relationship with one of his teammates, he knows that it's time to stop being afraid. (Martial Arcs with trans!Jaune. Happy Pride Month! Rated T for some homophobic/transphobic language from Team CRDL, and a Lime scene.)
1. Breaking the Shell

**Greetings, everyone! I'm coming at you with something special today. You see, Tumblr's doing a RWBY art challenge right now, but I know from experience that trying to do a fic a day only leads to stress. Instead, I decided to instead do something for Pride Month. In the face of all that's happening in the world, I feel that LGBT pride is more important than ever. So, I'm going to do an LGBT fic every week for the month of June.**

 **I'd like to dedicate this one to my dear friend Nicodemus. He adores Martial Arcs, and is an out transman who is very dedicated to creating art for the trans community. His Tumblr is nightmaregaze, and you should totally check out his stuff! I'm with you, Nick. With art and writing, we shall continue to fight the good fight!**

 **Note: This fic is about Jaune coming out as trans, so there are parts when he is referred to with female pronouns and his birth name, since the others don't know yet. The first chunk is from Jaune's POV, the second is from Ren's, and the third is mixed. I'm not trying to misgender. I'm only trying to be accurate concerning how the characters will think at the times shown in this fic.**

 **Enjoy!**

The night was cool and pleasant, and Jaune had a genuine smile on his face for the first time in a while. He ran a hand through his hair, once again marveling at the fact that he finally had it cut, as he had been wanting to do for a long time. Unlike the long, thick hair he had sported earlier that day, this was shorter and felt almost fluffy when he touched it.

In the bags he carried were several new pairs of jeans and some tee shirts he'd feel confident wearing without his baggy Pumpkin Pete hoodie overtop it. He was actually wearing one of the new pairs of jeans now. He hadn't been able to wait to get out of those leggings.

Looking at himself in one of the shop windows, he honestly thought that he looked nearly perfect. Nearly. Once the binder arrived, he'd finally be able to rely less on his hoodie and actually put some variety into his outfits when his armor was off.

Thinking of the binder reminded him of what his next step was going to have to be. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. _I have to do it before the binder comes in,_ he thought. _Otherwise, they'll just be confused. We're teammates, and friends. They'll support me._

More than anything, he hoped that Ren would support him. He also hoped that somehow, Ren would be just as attracted to Jaune as he was to Jeanne.

Jeanne was the name that was on Jaune's birth certificate, along with an F that didn't belong there as far as he was concerned. Throughout most of his life, he had remained quiet about his gender identity, even to his family. He was on a few LGBT support forums, but none of the people there knew him personally. Now that he was at Beacon, however, he felt that it was important for him to stop being afraid.

 _I'm training to fight Grimm and put my life on the line for other people,_ he told himself. _I'd might as well do it as myself._

Still, he couldn't help but be nervous. He didn't doubt that Pyrrha and Nora would accept him. Pyrrha was his partner, and Nora was the type of person to take everything in stride as long as the person in question wasn't a jerk.

Ren was the one he was really worried about. It wasn't because he thought that his teammate was bigoted or close-minded, but because things were just a bit more complicated with their relationship.

He still remembered when he first met Ren in the Emerald Forest. The attraction he had felt for the smaller, gentle-voiced, quiet young man had been nearly instantaneous. His feelings only deepened with time as he learned more about his teammate: that his favorite hobby was cooking, that he practically raised Nora after they were both orphaned, that he enjoyed board games and pillow fights.

When Ren asked him to the Vytal Festival Dance at the beginning of the semester, Jaune had been honestly shocked. He had said yes, of course, but had debated for a long time about whether this would be the right time to come out. In the end, he kept quiet, wore a dress that he hated, and danced with Ren while trying not to feel too much self-loathing at just how feminine he looked.

Ren hadn't seemed to mind, as he asked to kiss Jaune near the end of the night. Jaune had accepted, even though he felt like a complete phony.

The kiss had been soft, gentle, and wrong. Wrong, because Jaune felt as if he was kissing Ren as someone else. This sense of wrongness only deepened as their relationship continued, and he knew that the only option was to tell his now-boyfriend the truth.

But, what if Ren didn't want to be with Jaune after that? What if he got mad because Jaune hadn't told right away? The last thing Jaune wanted was for their relationship, friendship, and the team dynamic to suffer.

His Scroll buzzed, shaking him out of his thoughts. He turned it on to see a message from Ren.

" _You done shopping? Need one of us to pick you up?"_

Jaune felt himself smiling. Ren didn't like to show it, but he worried whenever any of his friends went off by themselves after dark, especially Nora or Ruby. Even though he knew they were all capable of handling themselves, he still liked to keep tabs on them. Ever since they started dating, he became particularly protective of Jaune. Quickly, Jaune typed a reply.

" _I'm good. Just decided to get a haircut on the way back. Nearly at Beacon now. 3"_

Ren never used emojis, but had said before that it was cute when Jaune did.

" _Okay. See you soon."_

Jaune closed his Scroll, glanced once more at his reflection, and started toward Beacon.

….

It was a calm night in the JNPR dorm room. Pyrrha was working on homework while Nora sat next to her, contentedly eating from a bag of candy. Ren was sitting in his bed reading a book, occasionally glancing toward the door. As Nora finished her bag and started searching through her drawer for more, Ren gave her a stern look.

"You shouldn't eat so much sugar this late at night," he said, even though he knew his words would fall on deaf ears.

Nora rolled her eyes. "Okay, Dad." She saw her best friend glance at the door again. "Waiting for Jeanne to come back?"

Ren nodded. "She should be done by now."

Nora giggled, poking his cheek. "It's so cute how protective you are! She's a Huntress, remember? She can handle walking around after dark."

"Team CRDL has been giving her more of a hard time lately," Pyrrha pointed out. "Is that what you're worried about?"

"Partially," Ren sighed. "Also, she's been very distant lately. Have you noticed?"

Nora tilted her head while Pyrrha nodded. "Yes. Our rooftop sparring sessions have been much shorter lately, and she doesn't seem quite as focused as before."

"You're the one dating her. Has she said anything to you?" Nora wondered.

Ren shook his head. "No. I don't know how to ask her what's wrong."

"You could just try asking her," Nora said. "It only takes two words, you know." She leaned in to give her friend a quick hug. "Come on. You're not a super talky person, but just let her know you're willing to listen. That'll get her to open up."

"And if you're worried about her, just send her a text," Pyrrha added.

A small smile came to Ren's face. "You're right." He took his Scroll out of his pocket and started typing.

" _You done shopping? Need one of us to pick you up?"_

The response came surprisingly quickly.

" _I'm good. Just decided to get a haircut on the way back. Nearly at Beacon now. 3"_

Ren's smile widened at the heart emoji.

" _Okay. See you soon."_

Relieved, he shut off his Scroll and returned to his book while Nora went back over to Pyrrha. He hated being so worried all the time, but it couldn't be helped. Ever since the beginning of the year, it seemed that Team JNPR's leader was facing an uphill battle. From the fact that she got in using forged papers and had to hurriedly learn all she could about combat, to Team CRDL's relentless bullying, it seemed that she never got a break.

Ren wasn't sure when he started to have a crush on her, but was pretty sure it was during one of their sessions of _Graveyards and Grimm_. Jeanne was the Game Master, and everything about her seemed to come alive when she was narrating the story or voicing a villain that the players had to go up against.

He grew to love seeing her like that. Whenever she'd play guitar, try a new game, or geek out about the newest _X-Ray and Vav_ comic, her eyes would light up and make her entire body seem to glow, as if her Aura was activated all the time.

A few weeks ago, when Ren (with much urging from Nora) had asked her to be his date for the Vytal Festival Dance, she had looked honestly stunned. Even when they went together and Jeanne wore that gorgeous white dress, she had acted as if she couldn't believe where she was. She also seemed as if she wanted to hide from everyone at the dance.

They left the dance floor early and walked alone in the courtyard, where Ren finally got up the nerve to ask to kiss her. It had been quick and unsatisfying. Even then, she had seemed distracted. Still, his feelings remained the same and they started dating.

He desperately wished that he could get through the invisible wall that seemed to be a permanent fixture between them. It was so strange, because he was used to being the more withdrawn one. How did he deal with someone who was seemingly a confident extrovert, but acted nervous or distant at random times, especially when in romantic situations?

The door opened, prompting him to close his book. In stepped Jeanne, sporting a new, rather short haircut and a pair of what looked like man's jeans. She paused in the doorway, smiling hesitantly at Ren.

"Hey," she muttered. "What do you think?"

"You look good," Ren replied, and he meant it. The short hair definitely suited her, and the jeans fit her in the same way her trademark baggy hoodie did: They didn't perfectly fit her form, but it seemed to fit her personality more than her leggings and tanks.

Jeanne's face brightened considerably, which caused Ren's own smile to widen. "Thanks!" she said, putting her bags down, kicking off her shoes, and moving to sit next to Ren on the bed. "You weren't too worried, were you?"

"No more than usual." Ren gently kissed his girlfriend, feeling her lingering smile on his lips.

Nora zipped over and promptly started playing with Jeanne's hair. "It's so fluffy!"

Jeanne snickered. "Careful, Nora. You're gonna make Pyrrha feel neglected."

"I'm perfectly fine," Pyrrha said, giving her friends and amused glance over the top of her textbook.

Nonetheless, Nora was at her side immediately, hugging her arm. "I like your hair too!"

"Thank you." Pyrrha gently brushed Nora's bangs out of her eyes. "I think I'm done studying."

"Yay!" Nora bounced onto the bed next to her girlfriend, snuggling cheerfully against her.

"They're so cute," Jeanne commented.

"Mm hm." Ren was looking at Jeanne, though, loving the fond expression on her face.

Jeanne noticed his look and blushed. Leaning in, she softly pecked his lips. "Hey, can we talk at lunch tomorrow?" she whispered.

"Of course," Ren replied, masking the twinge of fear he felt. _According to all I've heard, asking to "talk" rarely means anything good. Does this have to do with how distant she's being? Does she not want to date me after all?_

He couldn't tell. She seemed happy enough, and her kiss before she retired to her own bed felt genuine. Reminding himself of all the times he would tell Nora not to stress unnecessarily, he eventually managed to get to sleep.

….

Jaune was barely able to pay attention in class the following day. Even when Cardin taunted him for dressing like a "dyke," he barely responded. He didn't miss Pyrrha having to physically restrain Nora, however.

"Come on! Let me at him!" Nora snarled. "I'll break his legs off and make him eat them raw!"

"Now, Nora," Pyrrha said, her calm voice barely betraying the rage she was feeling. "There are witnesses. You'd only get in trouble."

This caused Nora to pause. "Are you implying that we should do something at a time when there are no witnesses?" A glint entered her turquoise eyes and a very evil grin spread across her face.

"Nora, we're Hunters in training," Ren scolded. "We can't commit murder." _Though, if I was a witness, I probably would conveniently forget what I saw._ Honestly, if Jeanne wasn't so against making a scene with Team CRDL, Ren probably would have already done something stupid, like try to challenge Cardin to a fight.

The bell rang for lunch. Pyrrha and Nora headed toward the cafeteria. Ren looked up at his girlfriend, whose expression was that familiar, unwelcome look of hesitance. "Want to head to the kitchen? I can make us sandwiches. Everyone else will likely be in the cafeteria, so we shouldn't be bothered."

Jaune smiled, trying to quiet the butterflies in his stomach. "Sure."

They got to the kitchen, where Ren busied himself with what he could find in the fridge. He was silent, waiting for Jeanne to start talking.

Jaune took a steadying breath, grateful for Ren's patience. He ended up waiting until after the sandwiches were finished before saying anything. "So, there's something I need to tell everyone, and I wanted to tell you first, since, you know, we're 'together-together' now, as Nora would say."

"Okay." Ren sat down. A terrible thought occurred to him, and he couldn't help asking: "Are you sick?" His magenta eyes darkened with fear.

"What? No!" Jaune shook his head rapidly. "Nothing like that! I'm fine!" _Crap, was he worried about that since last night?_ he wondered with a flush of guilt. "I mean, I'm physically healthy…"

Ren's brows creased with confusion at Jeanne's tone, but he didn't say anything else.

After another breath and a few bites of sandwich, Jaune continued. "Do you, uh, know what transgender means?"

Ren nodded. "Yes. That's a term for people who undergo an operation to change from male to female, or visa versa."

"Not quite," Jaune corrected. "There are trans people who have sex change operations, but the term refers to anyone who identifies as the opposite of their birth gender."

"I see." In that moment something clicked in Ren's brain. Suddenly, everything leading up to this point made sense: Jeanne's aloofness, her haircut, her clothing choice, how uncomfortable she had seemed during the dance while wearing that dress. _Wait, I guess it's "he." Or is it? Is she coming out, or…?_

"Well," Jaune continued. "I'm trans. I don't see myself as a female, I don't like the name Jeanne, and I want to get rid of these eventually." He gestured toward his breasts. "I ordered a binder online, and I plan on wearing it. I'm going to ask people to start referring to me with male pronouns, profs included."

He realized that his eyes were watering, and swiped quickly at them. "I'm going to be a Huntsman, and I don't want to pretend anymore. I'm really sorry I didn't tell you before."

There was a pause as Ren digested this information. He thought back to how happy Jeanne had seemed when he liked her- _his_ newhaircut and clothes. That smile, that lightness in those blue eyes was something Ren wanted to see more of. If this was what made Jeanne more confident and happy, who was he to argue? "What should I call you?" he asked.

"Huh?" Jaune blinked. He hadn't expected that to be Ren's first question.

"You said you don't like being called Jeanne. What should I call you?" Ren repeated. He didn't need to fake the calm frankness in his voice. He wasn't the least bit freaked out. Actually, he was more relieved than anything. His teammate wasn't sick, wasn't thinking of breaking up with him, and wasn't hiding some huge, horrible secret. As far as he was concerned, nothing was wrong.

"Jaune," Jaune answered, feeling a hopeful smile coming to his face. "I've been using it on online forums for over a year now, and I really like it."

Ren nodded. "It suits you."

"Thanks." Jaune rubbed nervously at the back of his neck. "So, uh, you aren't mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" Ren asked. "Remember, I grew up with Nora. She didn't come out as bi until a little before Beacon, and I wasn't mad at her then. A person shouldn't come out before they're ready."

"I know, but we're dating, so it's a little more…" Jaune shrugged. "We got together when you thought I was a girl, and I wasn't sure if you were straight, and it feels almost like I lied to you, you know?"

"You're telling me now, aren't you?" Ren reached across the table to touch Jaune's hand. "I'm honestly not mad, and you didn't lie to me. You weren't lying when you said you liked me, right?"

"Of course I meant that!" Jaune said, feeling a slight thrill when Ren touched his hand. _He…He's okay with this. He's not angry or disgusted. I mean, I knew Ren would never be a jerk about something like this, but still…_ "So, do you still want to…?" he trailed off uncertainly.

"Keep dating you?" Jaune nodded, and Ren smiled gently. "Yes. I never really thought about dating men, but I'm not against the idea. I guess I was never really attracted to a man before now. You're still you, so nothing has changed as far as I'm concerned."

Jaune felt a lump rising in his throat, and a few more tears found their way down his cheeks. Ren was adjusting so easily to calling him a man. And he was still attracted to him! He couldn't believe just how lucky he was. "I… That…" Jaune paused to wipe his eyes with his free hand. "That means so much coming from you, Ren. Thank you."

Ren squeezed Jaune's hand. "I'm just relieved that it's something like this," he admitted. When Jaune tilted his head, he explained. "You seemed so distant ever since the dance, and I wasn't sure why. I didn't know if you were regretting kissing me, or if something was wrong involving your family, or if you were having trouble with school."

"Jeez, I'm sorry!" Jaune said, glancing downward. "I didn't know you were so worried…"

"Well, I'm not really good at getting my thoughts across sometimes," Ren admitted with a sheepish smile.

Jaune let out a laugh. "That makes two of us!"

Ren found himself chuckling along with him. For a moment, the two sat there, their hands touching as they laughed quietly. Finally, Ren stood up and circled the table. "Is it okay if I kiss you, Jaune?"

That request, combined with the use of his true name, caused Jaune's heart to thud loudly. Speechless, he could only nod his head and close his eyes in anticipation. When he felt those petal-soft lips on his, everything finally felt right with the world. He reached up to cup Ren's cheek and pull him closer, smiling into the kiss as Ren placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.

Ren felt his mind go momentarily blank. This kiss felt so much better, so much more real than any of the previous kisses they had shared. There was no hesitance in Jaune's movements, no invisible wall between them. He wasn't holding back. It was like Ren could feel his happiness in his very Aura.

Jaune, feeling bold, swiped Ren's bottom lip with his tongue. Ren let out a surprised noise, but ultimately let his boyfriend in. Their tongues brushed shyly against each other, then withdrew. The kiss ended with both of them blushing heavily.

Ren pecked Jaune's wet cheek once before moving back. "I may slip up a few times," he warned. "I'm used to referring to you as a female and using your birth name, so I apologize in advance."

"It's okay," Jaune assured him. "I'll let you know if you say the wrong thing by mistake."

"Thank you." Ren smiled. "Do you plan on telling the others?"

"Well, I want to be completely out, so yeah." Jaune touched Ren's hand, which was still on his shoulder. "I'm a lot less scared to tell them, now that I know you're okay with it."

"They should still be at lunch," Ren noted. "Would you like to tell them now?"

Jaune considered this, then shook his head. "Nah, I'll probably wait to tell them during dinner. Can we just sit in the lounge till lunch is over?"

"Of course." Ren took care of cleaning up their plates, then followed Jaune into the common room. He sat down next to his boyfriend, resting his head on his shoulder, letting out a contented sigh as a warm arm wrapped around him. "Thank you for trusting me, Jaune," he murmured.

Jaune brushed his lips against Ren's forehead. He couldn't stop smiling. He felt totally ready to tell the rest of his friends. He even felt ready to start telling his professors his preferred pronouns and name when the time came. "I should be thanking you," he said earnestly. "You're amazing, Ren."

"Not really," Ren replied. "I'm just accepting you as you are. Isn't that what friends, teammates, and boyfriends are supposed to do in the first place?"

Jaune hugged Ren closer, squeezing him tightly to show his gratitude, since his throat was closing up again. They remained on the couch for the rest of the lunch period, then walked to their next class hand in hand. Feeling Ren's cool, smooth palm against his was more than enough to bring an extra spring to Jaune's step. When Ren noticed and graced him with another one of those beautiful, shy smiles, he knew that everything would be okay.

By tomorrow, all of Beacon would know _Jaune_ Arc, leader of Team JNPR. And he was ready for everything that would come with that.

 **I'm seriously considering making this a twoshot, with the second chapter being about Jaune dealing with being an out transman and progressing with his relationship with Ren. I'll leave it up to you guys. Would you like next week's thing to be an update to this fic?**

 **If you like what you see and want to show extra support in exchange for rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.**

 **Also, I recently started a fanfiction-writing blog. It will have a glossary of fandom terms, writing advice, top 10 lists, prompts, and more. Feel free to check it out at soloragoldsun dot wordpress dot com.**

 **Peace out!**


	2. Clipped Wings

**Hello again, my lovelies! Here's another chapter of this beauty. I think I may just end up making this a longer piece, because there's definitely more I can do here.**

 **Also, can there be some civility in the review section, please? I got a page-long thing telling me to turn to Jesus as well as a guest review I had to delete that was calling me a liberal, brainwashed faggot who is for genital mutilation. So, can we not have any of those this time around? Thanks.**

 **On that subject, I'd like everyone to take a moment to remember the forty-nine people who lost their lives in the Pulse Night Club shooting a year ago. Our fight isn't over, and we have to keep pressing forward so that we can create a world where we can live without fear.**

 **Enjoy!**

"Move it, tranny!"

Jaune only had a moment's warning before a familiar hand shoved him to the side, causing him to bonk his head on the doorframe. A chorus of obnoxious snickers passed him. He blinked away a few tears, catching a glimpse of Team CRDL strutting down the hallway before his attention was diverted by a gentle touch to his shoulder.

He turned to see a familiar rabbit Faunus. Her brown eyes were shining with concern, and her ears were slightly droopy. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Jaune forced a smile. "Yeah." He took a moment to remember the girl's name. "Velvet, right?"

She nodded. "Yes. I was just wondering if you wanted me to walk you to your next class."

"Thanks, but…" Jaune started to say. Cardin's snickers echoed down the hall, and he noticed a few people giving him odd looks as they passed. "Actually, that would be really nice."

Velvet smiled as they started to walk. "I noticed that your teammates aren't in this class. I know how it feels having to deal with idiots without anyone else around."

"Oh yeah. You get your share of Cardin too, huh?" Jaune said, his brows creasing with sympathy.

"Unfortunately," Velvet sighed. "At least I was able to change my lunch period this semester. I'm with my teammates now, and not with those bigots."

Jaune thought back to first semester, remembering with a bit of guilt all the times Cardin's team had bullied Velvet during lunch. He and the others would always remark on how jerkish Team CRDL was…but had they ever actually offered to help? The more he thought back, the more he realized that they never did. His cheeks flushed a little with shame.

They got to his class, where Ren and the rest of his team were waiting outside. He glanced at Velvet. "Thanks."

"It's no trouble at all," Velvet assured him. "I think you're very brave, honestly."

Jaune shook his head. "I don't feel very brave."

"People who are actually brave rarely feel it," Velvet replied. "Have a nice day!" She walked off, waving cheerfully over her shoulder.

"I like her," Pyrrha commented. "How was your class today?"

"Oh, same old," Jaune sighed, his expression brightening a little when Ren walked over and pecked his cheek.

"By that, you mean Cardin gave you a hard time," Ren muttered, his eyes troubled. "You really should report him."

Jaune shrugged helplessly. "Cardin's been in a thousand detentions already. Reporting him would only make him target me more."

Honestly, at this point, Jaune wondered if Cardin did anything besides seek him out to bully him. He had thought Team CRDL was bad before, but things became even worse after he publicly came out to his classmates and teachers a week ago.

There hadn't been any big announcement, except for when he told his friends at dinner a few hours after coming out to Ren. They all were incredibly supportive. Weiss had needed some clarification on what it meant to be trans, and Jaune didn't think she fully got it yet. However, she had said: "You know yourself better than we do, so I'll call you whatever you like."

Blake had been very eager to help Jaune get adjusted, putting him in contact with Scarlet, who was active on several LGBT forums. The other members of Team SSSN had also texted him to show their support, Sun celebrating the fact that the boys and girls were finally equally divided between the three teams.

There had been a few moments when they would accidentally call him Jeanne or use female pronouns, but they didn't happen often. When they did, it was usually Nora, Ruby, Yang, or someone who was more prone to speaking before thinking. Ren, who tended to always think before uttering a word, hadn't made a mistake once, despite his previous warning to Jaune that he might.

The problems started when Jaune started wearing his binder and requested a male uniform. Ozpin had gladly complied once everything was explained to him, and the professors were very quick to adjust.

When it came to his fellow students, things got a little complicated. Some were very supportive, like Velvet. Others didn't know or didn't care, and didn't change their attitude at all. Far too many of them gave Jaune odd looks as they passed him in the hallways. And then there were people like Cardin.

Ren stepped close, touching Jaune's arm. "If you want, one of us can walk you from that class."

Jaune shook his head. "Cardin would have already shoved me into the door by the time you got there. I can handle this."

Nora groaned with frustration. "You shouldn't have to, though!"

Pyrrha noticed Doctor Oobleck giving them an expectant look, and quickly led the others into the lecture hall. "I really will break Cardin's legs if he goes much further," she promised quietly.

When class ended, Ren approached Jaune at his desk. "I was thinking: Why don't we talk to Doctor Oobleck?"

Jaune blinked. "About what?"

"He's an expert on Faunus discrimination. Maybe he has some advice on how to deal with what you've been dealing with."

Jaune hesitated, then nodded. "I guess it can't hurt." The two walked down to the desk, where Doctor Oobleck was zipping from one side to the other, collecting his papers in an order only he understood. He turned around as the two approached.

"Ah! Mister Ren. Mister Arc. Did you need any clarification on today's lesson?"

"N-No, sir," Jaune murmured, suddenly nervous. "I was just wondering… You've seen a lot of what Faunus have had to face over the years. Do you know anything about…people like me?"

Doctor Oobleck nodded, his expression becoming grave. "I take it that you have been the target of certain close-minded parties, yes?" When Jaune nodded, the professor let out an angry tutting noise. "Shameful, shameful! I simply don't understand the mindset of such people. What harm does one's gender, species, or romantic preference do to anyone?" He sighed loudly, shaking his head. "I'm afraid that the best that can be done is to keep your head high. Report any acts of bigotry to the staff, and keep learning how to be the best Huntsman you can be."

Jaune's shoulders slumped. "That doesn't seem like much of a solution."

"Unfortunately, Mister Arc, the only solution to your problem is to totally eliminate bigotry from our world." Doctor Oobleck smiled wistfully. "A nice thought, isn't it? Anyway, what you need to remember is that the opinions of such people do not matter. Most importantly, do not let them scare you into silence. As a Huntsman, you have the potential to be an important voice for other transgender individuals."

"I…" Jaune's brows furrowed thoughtfully. "I didn't think about that."

"Your words could carry a lot of weight," Doctor Oobleck said with a smile. "The next generation of Hunters will look to people like you. By being yourself and doing your best, you can show the world that there is no true difference between one who is transgender and one who is not. Anyone can succeed. Anyone can fight."

"Anyone can fail, too," Jaune sighed, staring at the ground. He didn't have it in him to be a role model.

"True," Oobleck murmured. "But, why do you think we give every student three teammates to support them?"

Jaune turned to look at Ren, who smiled gently up at him. His heart warmed and he nodded. "Thank you, sir," he said, turning back to Doctor Oobleck.

"My pleasure," Oobleck assured him. "Here." He handed Jaune a slip of paper. "My office hours, in case you didn't already know. If you ever need to talk, you know where to find me."

Jaune smiled. "Thanks."

They exited the classroom and started toward the dorms when Ren paused, looking at his Scroll before hurriedly pocketing it. "Would you like to walk around the courtyard?" he asked.

Jaune nodded. "Okay." His heart thumped when Ren took his hand and tugged him down the hallway. Ren had gotten a lot more forward with showing affection lately. Jaune suspected that it was because his boyfriend wanted to reassure him that he still wanted to date him. He was grateful, whatever the reason was.

As they stepped outside, Ren spotted a monarch butterfly fluttering nearby. He pointed it out to Jaune. "I was looking online, and apparently butterflies and moths are a common symbol of the trans community."

Jaune smiled, touched that Ren was trying so hard to comfort him. "Yeah. They represent the idea of us coming to terms with our true selves." He watched the butterfly alight on a flower, its orange and black wings fanning in and out. "I think I'd be more of a moth."

"You think?" Ren tilted his head.

"Yeah. Moths are considered more masculine. Also," Jaune ran a hand through his hair. "We both have fuzzy hair."

Ren laughed softly. "I suppose that's true." He felt his heart flip as Jaune laughed along with him. _That's more like it,_ he thought.

They walked around for a few minutes before Jaune turned toward the dorms. "Wanna head back and sleep a bit before dinner?" _Maybe together…?_

Ren got a hesitant look on his face. "Uh…" He glanced at his Scroll. "Would you rather walk around a bit more?"

Jaune frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just…" Ren's face took on a reddish hue, and he glanced around, suddenly feeling incredibly awkward. "You see…Nora asked if we could…make ourselves scarce from the dorms until after dinner."

"Why would she want us to- Oh!" Jaune felt his own cheeks flushing as he caught Ren's meaning. "Right." He glanced toward the dorms. "How long have they been…?"

Ren shrugged. "I don't know. Not my business."

"Outside it is, then!" Jaune said, electing to sit down on a nearby bench. Secretly, he felt a surge of relief. He had been worried that Ren didn't want to go back to the dorm because he didn't want to be alone with him. _That's stupid,_ he scolded himself. _Ren's been nothing but supportive. Don't let your stupid self-doubt ruin things._

Ren readily sat down next to Jaune, snuggling against his side. His boyfriend's warm, larger form had always been a comfort to him, even when he had thought he was dating a girl. When they had first started going out, there had been a few smart-aleck comments from people like Cardin concerning a "twig" like Ren dating an "oversized scarecrow lady." _I guess people who are bored enough will always find reasons to impede on someone's happiness,_ he mused.

Jaune smiled down at Ren, leaning down to softly kiss the top of his head. Ren shifted against him and looked up, granting Jaune a view of those beautiful magenta eyes before they shut and Ren leaned up for a full kiss. Soft lips enveloped Jaune's as he closed his eyes, sighing happily.

Then, a few feet away, a familiar, obnoxious voice said: "Jeez, I can't believe they're actually out _in public_."

Jaune winced, breaking the kiss and glaring over his shoulder. Team CRDL was standing in a cluster, talking loudly to each other, obviously wanting to be heard by anyone nearby.

"I know, right?" Russel snorted. "It's sick."

Ren stood up, taking Jaune's hand. "Let's go downtown for a little while," he muttered, giving Team CRDL a disgusted look as he tugged a willing Jaune away.

Unfortunately, the four stooges decided to trail the two. "So, do you think the twig is the girl in the relationship?" Sky wondered.

"Maybe that's why they're together: One's too wimpy to be a man, while the other's too ugly to pass as a woman," Cardin said with a laugh.

Ren was grinding his teeth in an effort to stay silent. _Just keep walking. Get Jaune away from them._

Jaune bit his lip, blinking back tears. He felt Ren moving a little faster and followed suit.

"Maybe it's pity," Dove suggested. "I heard that people from Mistral are super self-sacrificing."

Cardin snorted. "Self-sacrifice is one thing, but who would be sorry enough to willingly tie himself to a tranny freak?"

Jaune tried to ignore it, but he felt a slight noise rising in his throat, a noise that came out somewhere between a sob and a hiccup.

Ren heard and stopped dead in his tracks, eyes blazing. Not letting go of Jaune's hand, he spun around to face Team CRDL. "Don't you have something better to do, or are you really that bored?" he growled.

The four stopped, Cardin holding up his hands with a mocking smile. "Whoa-ho! The flower boy can get mad. Please don't hurt me!" The other three snickered like the cronies they were.

"Why can't you just leave us alone?" Ren asked. "We don't want any trouble."

"Well, we don't want to see your faggot agenda being shoved in our faces," Cardin said, folding his arms. "It's not our fault we're stuck in classes where we have to look at you every day."

"What agenda?" Jaune asked as a pang of pure indignation went through him. "We're just being ourselves. All we want is to be treated with respect." His eyes narrowed. "But, I guess people who like ganging up on lone Faunus girls wouldn't know anything about that." He thought of Velvet's kind smile and supportive words, feeling his hatred for Team CRDL deepen even more.

"Hey, we're not talking about those animals, though we shouldn't have to go to school with them either," Cardin said, taking a step forward. "Why don't you keep your weirdness to yourself?"

"Why don't you just not look?" Ren retorted. "If it bothers you so much, why are you following us around?"

"Maybe they have a secret crush on us," Jaune said, smirking a little. "That would explain a lot."

That was the wrong thing to say. As one, Team CRDL's expressions changed from mocking to dangerously angry. The four moved forward, Cardin grabbing Jaune by the front of his uniform while Russel went for Ren.

"I. Am. Not. A. Fag," he growled as Dove grabbed Jaune's arms, pinning them behind his back.

Ren struggled in Russel's grip, managing to kick out at Sky's side. This, of course, prompted Russel to deliver a strong punch to the chest. Ren activated his Aura just in time, but still winced at the blow.

"Ren!" Jaune thrashed against Cardin and Dove, only to see blackness for a moment as a hard fist drove into his eye. He yelped with pain, cursing his stupidly-fickle Aura.

Ren gritted his teeth, rage coursing through him as he kneed Russel in the groin, loosening the bully's grip enough to get away. He immediately rushed to aid Jaune, who headbutted Cardin, causing the larger boy to stumble back. Ren pulled Dove away, his heart sinking as he saw the other members of Team CRDL charging.

It was four on two, and neither Jaune nor Ren had their weapons. There was only one logical course of action. "Run!" Jaune hissed.

Darting out of the way of several fists, Jaune and Ren rushed through the courtyard toward the main campus. The thundering footsteps of their pursuers remained close behind them. Ren noticed a corner coming up and nudged Jaune's arm. Abruptly, they both turned and ran down another path, only to stop suddenly as they nearly collided with Professor Goodwitch.

The Huntress stumbled to a halt, then pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she gave the two a stern look. "I know this is outside, but could you please…" She trailed off when she noticed Jaune's black eye. At that moment, Team CRDL skidded to a halt nearby and tried to walk casually away. Glynda's eyes narrowed.

"You four, over here right now!" she commanded. When they reluctantly obeyed, she folded her arms. "Well? What exactly is going on here?"

Jaune spoke up first. "They were harassing us, ma'am. Then, they attacked us."

Cardin scowled. "The freak provoked us."

"By telling you to stop harassing us!" Ren snapped. "And don't call him a freak!"

Glynda sighed loudly, shaking her head. "I've heard enough. You four, to Ozpin's office. Now! I've had just about enough of dealing with your ongoing determination to make things more difficult for your fellow students. Get going!"

Team CRDL obeyed, though not without Cardin shooting a glare that could crack stone at both Jaune and Ren.

Once they were gone, Professor Goodwitch relaxed a little, her eyes taking on a gentler look. "Mister Arc, I suggest you get an ice pack for that. And please work more on using your Aura defensively. Would you like me to walk you to the nurse's office?"

"I'll be fine," Jaune said quickly. Now that Team CRDL was gone, he had no wish to be coddled. He was feeling self-conscious enough already. "Thank you."

Glynda shook her head. "This shouldn't have happened at all. I promise you that they will be strongly disciplined. Have a good day, and try to get some extra sleep tonight." With one last glance at each of the boys, she walked briskly off.

Jaune sighed once she was out of sight. "Discipline won't help."

"Maybe they'll be suspended this time," Ren suggested hopefully. "Come on. Let's get you some ice."

Deciding against going to the nurse's office and dealing with twenty questions relating to Jaune's injury, the two instead went to the kitchen, where Ren prepared an ice pack and set about making some hot chocolate. "Have a seat," he urged.

Jaune sat down and put the ice over his eye, wincing at the sharp sting. "How bad is it?"

"It looks fine," Ren said as he stirred the pot. _He actually looks like half a raccoon, but I'm not going to be the one to tell him that._

Jaune waited silently as Ren finished the cocoa, turned off the stove, and joined him. "I'm sorry," he muttered as his boyfriend sat down.

Ren frowned. "For what? Team CRDL made the decision to give us a hard time."

Jaune sighed. "It just feels like I keep making things harder for you. First I come out all of a sudden. Now, you're dealing with people like Cardin putting you down for being around me. On top of that, I don't even have the guts to stand up for myself."

"You did, though," Ren pointed out.

"Only because you were there." Jaune put the ice pack to the side. "Maybe I should've just kept pretending to be a girl after all."

"Absolutely not!" Ren said, his voice becoming sharp. When Jaune gave him a startled look, he placed a firm hand on his arm. "Listen, Jaune. Ever since you came out, it feels like a veil has been lifted. Before, there was always a sense that you didn't feel right with yourself, and it drove me crazy because I didn't know how to help you. Now, you seem happier. There's more of a light in your eyes, at least when Cardin isn't around. I wouldn't trade that for anything."

Jaune blushed as a small smile finally came to his face. "What did I do to deserve you?"

Ren pressed his lips softly to Jaune's. "You've done plenty," he murmured. "Now, drink your cocoa before it gets cold."

Jaune laughed. "Yes, sir!" Picking up the mug, he took a sip, trying to let the warming brew calm him down. Still, in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but wonder what else he and Ren would be forced to deal with because of his decision.

 **Yeah, okay. This chapter is complete, but the story is not. This definitely needs to be longer. I think this fic overall will be my contribution to Pride Month, and I'll extend it to a fourshot. I mean, I already type poly and gay/bi/pan ships on a regular basis, so this is a good chance to give more attention to the T in LGBT. This is my first time doing a trans fic, which is making me realize just how few canonically trans characters there are in fiction in general. I have one in my book series, and more will hopefully reveal themselves in my works, because representation of different kinds of people is so important right now.**

 **If you like what you see and want to show extra support in exchange for rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.**

 **If you want writing advice, top 10 lists, prompts, and fandom rants from yours truly, check out my blog at soloragoldsun dot wordpress dot com.**

 **Peace out!**


	3. Metamorphosis

**Greetings, friends. This week has me feeling disillusioned and sad yet again. I know that I need to be informed on what's going on in the world, but reading the news only ever makes me want to curl in a ball and weep. A few days ago, a teen in Malaysia named Nhaveen was raped and beaten to death over the course of several hours, just because his classmates thought he was gay. He was going to study music composition at college, and now he's dead. In the meantime, Texas passed a law banning gay couples from adopting kids. When will this end? Why can't people just live and let live?**

 **As a side note, one of my reviewers asked that I add a trigger warning concerning the slurs used by the bullies in this fic. I apologize that I didn't have a warning before, and that I also forgot to switch the rating to T. There isn't any language in this chapter, but I put an overall warning in the description.**

 **Anyway, enjoy.**

Jaune felt so conflicted whenever he was in the dorm room. On one hand, the binder he wore needed to be taken off at the end of the day, for both his health and his comfort. On the other, he hated that he couldn't look the way he wanted to when he was in his own room. When the binder came off after that first day wearing it, he had immediately hated the way he looked with a burning passion. The breasts he had been born with taunted him when he looked in the mirror, reminding him that he was not what he desperately wanted to be: a man who could simply be one with no strings attached and with no one batting an eye.

He started keeping the binder on until the others fell asleep, or at least until Ren fell asleep. He also tried to wake up early and get it on before his teammates woke up. This led to a decrease in sleep, which really didn't help things.

Team CRDL kept its distance, at least physically, since Ozpin threatened them with suspension if he heard of just one more fight. That didn't stop them from making Jaune's life difficult, of course. A rumor was spreading around Beacon that "Jeanne" was a pervert who took pictures in the locker rooms and "crossdressed" in shady parts of Vale on weekends.

He desperately wanted to talk to Doctor Oobleck about what to do about rumors, but was honestly terrified. What if someone saw him spending time with Oobleck and decided to start a rumor about him giving blowjobs to the professors or something?! At this point, nothing seemed impossible.

He was stewing over this in the courtyard with his friends during lunch. The cafeteria had become too hostile of an environment for him.

"Jaune," Ren urged, poking his arm. "Come on. You need to eat something."

Jaune sighed. "Not hungry. Do you want it?" He held his tray out to Ruby, who was sitting on his other side.

"Nope! Eat, or I'll get Yang to force-feed you," she replied.

"It wouldn't be the first time I've had to do it," Yang noted. "Ruby was a stubborn kid."

Jaune nervously shifted away from the brawler and reluctantly started on his food.

Weiss sniffed loudly. "I honestly don't understand why people insist on being so needlessly cruel."

"Bigotry does that," Blake said. "Remember how you were with Faunus before."

"I didn't trust Faunus, that's true," Weiss said. "I thought badly of them, but even then, I didn't specifically try to hurt them. Even then, I didn't think they deserved to be treated cruelly. These people are putting time and effort into being horrible, just because Jean- Jaune! I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Jaune said, still staring morosely at his food as he took another slow bite.

"Just because _Jaune_ sees himself as a male. Honestly, at this point, I wouldn't be able to tell he was born female by looking at him. What is the problem?"

Jaune did look up at this, a hopeful glimmer coming to his eyes. "You…really wouldn't be able to tell?"

Weiss noticed his expression and nodded, an encouraging smile coming to her face. "I really wouldn't. Your clothes, your hair, the binder, and how you've been speaking with a lower pitch all paint a masculine picture. The times when I accidentally call you Jeanne are more due to old habit than anything."

"At least I'm getting that part right," Jaune murmured. "Thanks, Weiss."

"And you don't believe me when I say how good you look?" Ren asked, raising an eyebrow and folding his arms in a gesture of mock-indignation.

Jaune laughed, kissing his cheek. "I believe you, but you're a bit biased."

"Hm. Maybe a little." Ren rested his head on his boyfriend's shoulder.

Nora giggled as she looked at the two. "You guys need to stop being so cute!"

"Isn't this the pot calling the kettle black?" Pyrrha asked with a slight smirk.

Nora's face turned bright red. "Oh, stop!"

A group of students walked by at that moment, and one of them called over. "Hey, Jeanne! Selling any of those pictures you've been taking? I know a few I'd like." The others snickered.

Jaune's heart clenched and his hand instinctively went to pull his hood up, only to stop when he remembered that he was in his school uniform. Instead, he scooted further under the shadow of the tree.

Nora stood up. "Okay, I'm gonna-!"

The group of jerks continued walking, only to step on a glyph that suddenly appeared in their path. They were thrown screaming into the air, then fell in a heap on the grass a few feet away. Teams RWBY and JNPR gaped for a moment, then all turned to look at Weiss, whose face was the picture of innocence.

"Oh dear," she remarked. "I really do need to learn how to control those better."

As they walked back to class, Ren slipped his hand into Jaune's and squeezed gently, giving his boyfriend a concerned look.

Jaune managed a smile, lightly gripping Ren's hand in return. _What would I do without you?_

During class, he was still thinking about just how supportive Ren was being in his words, actions, and simple presence whenever something went wrong. _I should take him out,_ he realized. _We haven't had a real date since I came out to everyone. The past few days has mostly been dealing with bullies and me moping._ He felt a little guilty as he thought about it.

Quickly, he wrote a note and slid it over to Ren. "We need a date night. Game store and coffee after classes today?" He drew a few hearts on the paper, even as he realized how dorky that was, and handed it to Nora, pointing toward Ren.

Ren got the note, read it over, and smiled. He nodded at Jaune, who beamed back. _A date night at the game store. That's exactly what we need!_

As soon as classes were over, they changed into their casual clothes and headed out. The night was warm, so Jaune decided to risk being confident and wearing one of his new tees, leaving his hoodie on his bed. Ren commented on how nice it looked, putting an extra spring into Jaune's step as they crossed the courtyard and headed toward downtown Vale.

The game store, a large-ish place called "The Pen is the Sword" had a decent amount of customers. Some were wandering through the bookshelves. Others stood at the counter, peering through the glass at trading cards. In the back, a few were playing various games, whether they were the tester board games that were provided or one of many card games.

"Hey, Ed!" Jaune called as they entered.

Ed, a taller man with a dark beard, smiled at the two. "Hey, Jeanne. Hey, Ren. How's life at Beacon?"

Jaune hesitated. "It's interesting," he said, not wanting to think about the bullying just then. "Also, I go by Jaune now. I…recently came out as trans."

"Okay," Ed replied without missing a beat. "A guy came in and sold me a bunch of _GrimmDark_ cards. Wanna take a look?" _GrimmDark_ was a game about sentient Grimm, and involved things such as sanity meters, varying powers, and spells.

"Sure," Jaune replied, approaching the counter as Ed took out a folder. He was a little surprised at his friend's non-reaction. Though, when he thought about it, that was the exact reaction that he wished he could get from everyone else. He wasn't trying to make himself seem "special," or call a bunch of attention to himself, or have an excuse to act like a "victim." He just wanted to be himself and have everyone just accept that.

Ren looked at Jaune, smiling at his bemused but pleased expression. "We could use more Eds in the world," he muttered.

"Agreed." Jaune opened the folder and started flipping through. "Ooh, some of these are nice."

"Let me know when you're done," Ren said. "I'll be looking at the _Graveyards and Grimm_ books."

"Okay." Jaune flipped a few pages, immediately noticing some cards that worked for his healer-based Beowolf deck. He put those aside, then turned a page to see several cards that would work in Ren's deck, which was a riskier one that lowered the sanity meter in order to make attacks more powerful at the risk of losing the Grimm cards. Glancing over his shoulder, he selected those as well and purchased the cards from Ed.

"Jaune, they have the sixth bestiary!" Ren called over.

Jaune joined his boyfriend in looking at the book. "We still only have the first three. Gotta get four and five before we buy this one."

"I know, but I like looking at the pictures."

"Ooh, this one has the Dragon Mother! She's such a badass!"

"Don't even think about it, Jaune. We're having a hard enough time with the Geist Puppet Master you have us going after."

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Well, duh. The Dragon Mother is for levels fifteen and up. I wouldn't do that to you."

"We got some new dice sets," Ed commented. "If you're interested."

"We should make Yang get some new dice," Jaune said. "Her rolls are so bad, I'm convinced her current set has it in for her."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Ren laughed. He approached the dice display. "Some of these look really nice. She might like these gold and orange ones."

"I was online the other day. Apparently, there are dice made from _mammoth tusks_! They're like a thousand Lien." Jaune shook his head. "If I was rich, that's the kind of pointless-but-awesome thing I'd buy."

In the end, they elected to let Yang decide whether or not to improve her dice collection. Ren checked the folder briefly before they left for the coffee shop.

The shop was a small place near the game store that always had a few people, but no huge crowds. Ren especially liked it there. The old man behind the counter waved as they entered.

"Evening, Ren and Jeanne. The usual?"

They both nodded. Jaune, slightly emboldened by Ed's nonchalant reaction, was able to speak without hesitating. "I'm going by Jaune now. I came out publicly as transgender a few days ago."

"You don't say." The old man raised an eyebrow as he set about preparing the boys' drinks. "The world sure is changing. Back in my day, you could get killed for something like that."

"You still can," Jaune sighed. "Trans people get attacked every day."

"In that case, make sure to take care on the way home."

"Will do!" They accepted their drinks, which Jaune insisted on paying for: green tea for Ren and a hazelnut latte for Jaune, as well as two pieces of baklava, and went to a small table near the counter.

Ren blew on his tea, noting with satisfaction that Jaune looked happier and more relaxed than he had in days. This was more like their early dates, except better, since there wasn't that nagging worry that Jaune was having second thoughts or hiding something else. "I saw a sign in the shop saying that there will be a _GrimmDark_ tournament next month. Want to enter?"

"Sure! I'm always up for playing new people." Jaune took a bite of baklava. "Is there a prize?"

"One hundred Lien. It's a local thing, so it's not a huge prize."

"Still. We could have some fun with that." Jaune sipped his latte.

"We could. Thanks again for the tea. I'm pretty sure it was my turn to pay this time."

"Eh. Who's keeping track?" Jaune shrugged. "Also, I got something else for you." He took the cards he had purchased out of his bag and handed them to Ren, whose eyes lit up as he looked at them.

"I can definitely implement this one with my newest strategy… This is a really good spell card..." He smiled brightly at his boyfriend after looking at all of the cards. "Thank you, Jaune!"

Jaune shook his head. "I should be thanking you. You've been really patient with me ever since I came out, and have been nothing but supportive. I'm not sure how well I'd be able to deal with all the bullying if I didn't have you to lean on," he admitted.

Ren reached across the table to touch his hand. "You don't need to thank me. And you don't have anything you have to repay. I don't abandon the people I love when things get a little difficult. I'm here for you."

Jaune smiled softly at Ren. Then, he realized exactly what his boyfriend had said. Ren seemed to realize it too, because his face was turning red. He wasn't withdrawing his hand or taking anything back, though.

"Ren, I-" Jaune was cut off when his Scroll suddenly started ringing. He winced, cursing internally. _Why do I always forget to silence that?!_ "Sorry, I'll turn it off." He took it out of his pocket, frowning when he saw who was calling. "Nora?"

Ren took out his Scroll, his brows furrowing. "She left me several messages. You should probably pick up."

Jaune put the Scroll to his ear. "Nora, what's up?"

"Omigosh, Jaune!" Nora's voice was thick with tears. "I'm so, so, so, so sorry! My key must have fallen out of my pocket, and! And!"

"Nora, calm down!" Jaune said. "What happened?"

"Our room, Jaune! Everything's messed up! And your dresser… Oh Dust, I'm gonna break their legs and their arms and-"

"Easy, Nora," Jaune urged, even as his heart sank and tears started to blur his vision. "We'll be right there." He ended the call, letting the Scroll fall on the table.

"Jaune, what is it?!" Ren asked. "Is someone hurt?"

"Someone messed up our room," Jaune said, his voice numb. "Nora said they did something to my dresser…"

Ren gritted his teeth. Cold fury filled him as he looked at his boyfriend's downcast face and imagined what awaited them back at Beacon. "Dammit," he growled. _Why can't they leave us alone? Why?!_ He stood up. "Come on. Let's see what happened."

They started to clean up, only for the old man to wave them off. "I got it, boys. You just hurry back."

By the time the two got back to Beacon, a crowd had gathered outside their room. Team RWBY was standing guard by the door, shooing away curious onlookers.

Jaune rushed over and let out a cry at what he saw. The room looked as if a rampaging bull had gone through it. Items were strewn across the floor, the beds were messed up, and all of the drawers of Jaune's dresser had been pulled out. On the wall above his bed, someone had spraypainted the word "FREAK" in big red letters. Nora and Pyrrha were working on cleaning their side of the room, but stopped when he came in. Jaune approached his part of the room, sobbing a little when he saw his dresser.

Not only were all the drawers pulled out, but all of his clothes were gone, replaced with pink tank tops, white short shorts, glittery jeans, and basically any other hyper-feminine article of clothing one could think of.

Ren stared in horror at the room, the dresser, and finally his boyfriend, who looked close to breaking down. He hurried to his side, hugging him tightly. "It's okay, Jaune. It'll be okay. There are cameras in the hallway. We'll find out who did this and get them expelled."

"Not before I get to break every bone in their bodies!" Nora growled, cracking her knuckles before joining Ren in hugging Jaune. "Just the legs won't do it this time."

Pyrrha walked over, touching Jaune's shoulder. "Stay strong, Jaune. I have a feeling that the worst is over."

Jaune shook his head mutely, unable to come up with any words just then.

"Move! Everyone, go to bed!" a familiar, sharp voice called from the hallway. "What is going- Oh Dust!"

Jaune looked over his shoulder to see Glynda Goodwitch standing in the doorway. She walked into the room, her eyes glittering with anger. "Of all the…" She approached Jaune, eying his dresser and the words on the wall. Pure disgust decorated her features. "Mister Arc, I am so sorry. I assure you that we will check the hall cameras and punish whoever did this." She touched his arm. "Are you alright? Do you need to come to my office?"

Jaune shook his head. "N-No, ma'am," he muttered. Bitter tears were streaming down his face.

Glynda turned toward Pyrrha and Nora. "Don't clean any more. We'll bring in custodial staff tonight. Everything will be cleaned, and your belongings will be stacked neatly. We will also change the locks and issue new keys by morning."

Ruby peeked in, clearing her throat. "You guys can stay with us tonight."

Glynda nodded. "Good idea, Miss Rose. I'll have sleeping bags brought up here." She started texting on her Scroll. "I'll notify Ozpin. You all gather what you need and go across the hall. We _will_ get to the bottom of this."

A little while later, they were in Team RWBY's room. No one spoke for a while. Jaune was trying really hard to stop crying. Ren had set up his sleeping bag right next to his and was at his side, hugging him tightly.

It was Weiss, who had been texting silently on her Scroll for the past few minutes, who broke the silence. "Jaune, are you busy this Saturday?"

"Huh?" Jaune blinked in confusion. "Uh, no. Why?"

"Well, you are now. Coco and I are taking you shopping," she declared, putting her Scroll away. "I just arranged it."

Jaune sighed. "Weiss, I spent most of my money on the clothes that got stolen."

"Did I say we were going to watch while you shopped? No. _We_ are taking _you_ shopping," Weiss said firmly. "And we aren't going to any of those bargain places, either. We're getting you some quality, fashionable clothes that will actually last. Honestly, those baggy tee-shirts were so boring."

Jaune's mouth dropped open when he realized what Weiss was saying. "You don't have-"

"Hush! The plans are already made," Weiss cut in. "There's no changing them, so shut up."

More tears came to his eyes, but these weren't due to sadness. "Thank you, Weiss."

Weiss waved her hand dismissively. "It's nothing." Her tone was brusque, but she was smiling.

Yang was muttering something to Nora and Pyrrha.

"What are you guys doing?" Ruby asked.

"Plotting how to murder whoever did this with no witnesses," Yang replied honestly.

Jaune's smile widened a little, and he turned to Ren, who was looking up at him from where he was snuggled against his side. "Hey." He kissed his boyfriend's forehead.

Ren pecked his cheek. "Are you okay?"

"No," Jaune answered honestly. He glanced at the others. "But…I think I'll get better."

Honestly, Jaune was feeling a strange sense of determination and calmness flooding through him, replacing the impending panic attack he had been fighting off. He had just endured a true hate crime, and he wasn't broken. His friends, his teammates, and Ren were there for him. The staff of Beacon were on his side. Tomorrow was going to come, even in the face of something so horrible. If he could handle this, he could probably handle anything else that was thrown at him.

He hugged Ren close and leaned in, so his lips were millimeters away from his ear. "By the way, I love you too."

He barely registered Ren's movement before his boyfriend pulled him into a long, deep kiss. He made a muffled sound of surprise before closing his eyes and kissing back eagerly. He was just feeling Ren's tongue running along his bottom lip when Yang called over.

"Hey! Get a room, you two!" There was a pause. "Wait, crap! I didn't mean-"

"Yang!" Weiss snapped. "Do you even know the meaning of tact?!"

Jaune burst out laughing. He couldn't help it. Ren quickly joined him. Soon, everyone in the dorm was cracking up. The atmosphere grew lighter immediately, and conversation quickly turned to exactly what they could do to the people who vandalized Team JNPR's room. They came up with several creative scenarios, some inspired by horror movies they had seen. By the time everyone went to sleep, the overwhelming grief and anger in the air were almost gone.

Ren hesitated before asking if he and Jaune could sleep in the same sleeping bag. He could see Jaune's answering blush even with the lights out.

Jaune held Ren close after they settled in, remembering with a small hint of nervousness that his binder was off at this point, and that Ren was pressed right up against him. He felt his boyfriend shift and make a contented noise in his throat. A lazy kiss to the collarbone finally caused Jaune to relax completely. "I love you, Ren," he murmured.

Ren nuzzled Jaune's neck. "I love you too," he replied. He fell asleep listening to his boyfriend's strong heartbeat, and feeling renewed determination to keep on being strong for him.

Jaune remained awake for a little while longer, listening to the breathing of his friends around him and feeling Ren's warm, smaller form nestled against him. He decided to forget about what had happened, and just enjoy this moment for what it was. _Tomorrow,_ he decided. _We'll get back to dealing with this tomorrow._

His sleep that night was restful and long. In the morning, when he ended up waking up after everyone, he found that he didn't feel self-conscious about putting his binder on.

 **It's funny. I have this thing when I type scenes involving mindless cruelty. I always stop and think "Man, this isn't realistic. I feel like I should be making these people more rational. This can't be right." Then, I see another news article about some kid somewhere being beaten to death, and I realize that yes, this is realistic. Yes, people do get this cruel, and can get much, much crueler.**

 **My friends tell me about what they have faced, and I can only listen and hate the world more and more while wondering when it'll be my turn. When will I be the one getting harassed at night? When will someone come at me waving a gun or a knife? When will I face someone who can look me in the eye and hate everything about me, even though they have never even spoken to me?**

 **We can't understand evil. We can't rationalize it. All we can do is accept that it exists, and do everything in our power to fight it, even if that fight will never truly end. That's what I'm going to do. I'm not a great speaker or an influential politician, but I'll write until I drop dead, and hope that better people than me can find solace in my words, that smarter people than me may be influenced to do something that could save just one more life. That's how I'll know that being a writer, that me existing in the first place, was all worth it.**

 **I'll see you guys next week for the final chapter. Also, yes. It will be a happy ending. We need more happy endings in the world.**

 **Peace out!**


	4. Imago

**Pride Month is coming to an end, but that doesn't mean that we stop being proud, or that we stop fighting. Respect, equality, and dignity are important no matter what time of year it is. We all need to keep pushing forward. In the meantime, enjoy this nice chunk of fluff. Just a warning: there is a Lime scene in this chapter. It's not explicit, but it's there.**

 **Enjoy!**

"This jacket is two hundred Lien!" Jaune gasped, staring at the price tag on a brown leather jacket as Weiss held it out to him.

"Yet again, your ability to read numbers is astounding," she said, rolling her eyes. "Go on. Put it on."

Taking it gingerly, worried about even scuffing it, Jaune carefully put his arms through the sleeves. He looked at himself in a nearby mirror, feeling a smile coming to his face. "I like it."

"Hm. It's hard to tell how good it looks when you're wearing that awful shirt," Weiss murmured, tapping her chin.

"Hey! I like this shirt!" Jaune protested, tugging at the bottom of the oversized black tee shirt he was wearing. After the vandalism of Team JNPR's dorm room, Yatsuhashi had sought Jaune out, giving him a few of his old shirts. They were way too big, but Jaune loved them anyway.

"It'll look great," Coco said confidently. "You just gotta imagine the right shirt." She gave Jaune an appraising look, then nodded. "Yep. Add it to the cart."

Jaune's eyes widened. "But, it's two hundred! Are you sure-?"

"Jaune, if you ask if we're sure one more time, I might just duct tape your mouth shut," Weiss groaned.

"I carry tape in my bag," Coco commented. "It can be done right now."

Jaune took a nervous step away from Coco. "Uh, why do you carry duct tape around?"

"I get into some kinky shit," Coco replied as brusquely as if she was talking about the weather.

"Coco!" Weiss snapped, putting her hands on her hips. "Don't be vulgar!"

Jaune tried not to snicker too obviously at Weiss's outraged expression. He ended up letting a snort slip, and was rewarded with a frosty glare. "So, this should be a pretty good wardrobe," he said, trying to change the subject. It was true. He already had several pairs of pants, shirts, a few jackets, some hoodies, and a new pair of shoes.

"I was about to say the same thing," Coco said. "Ready to pay and get out of here?"

Weiss nodded, though she was still giving Coco a skeptical look. She led the way to the checkout, where she promptly smacked Jaune's wrist. "Keep that hand away from your wallet, mister!"

Jaune put his hands behind his back. "Yes, ma'am!"

When the price was rung up, Coco saw fit to cover Jaune's eyes until after Weiss had paid.

Afterward, Jaune insisted on buying coffee for the two. "At least let me pay for that," he begged.

He thanked them both several times on the way back to Beacon. Coco was honestly considering breaking out the duct tape by the time they reached the dorms. "It's fine, man," she assured him. "I'm glad to help. Being teammates with Velvet kinda makes me hyper-aware of this stuff."

Jaune sobered a little. "Your team has done a lot for me, but I never stepped in for Velvet before. I saw her being bullied several times, but…"

Weiss glanced to the side, feeling a slight flush of guilt. _None of us really did much for Velvet, come to think of it._

Coco shook her head, patting Jaune's shoulder. "I was the same way when I was younger. I'd see kids getting bullied and think 'I shouldn't step in. Maybe it's not that bad.' or 'Someone in charge will do something. I don't need to.' It took becoming friends with Velvet to realize just how bad this kind of thing can get."

At that moment, Nora burst out of the recently-refurbished JNPR dorm room. "Guys!" she gasped. "I have horrible news!"

Jaune's heart sank. "What happened this time?"

"Team CRDL got suspended! Ozpin checked the cameras and got complete proof that they messed up our room. They're gone!"

"That sounds like good news, though," Weiss said, her brows furrowing.

"The bad news is that I didn't get to break their legs before they left!" Nora slumped mournfully against the door frame.

There was a long pause before Jaune burst out laughing. "Jeez, Nora. Don't scare me like that."

Coco folded her arms. "About time those bastards got what they deserved. Wish they'd been expelled."

"They won't expel capable fighters," Weiss pointed out. "Huntsmen are always needed, even if they're complete pigs."

"Was Ozpin…able to get any of my clothes back?" Jaune wondered. "Namely, my hoodie?" Out of all his clothes, he missed that old Pumpkin Pete hoodie the most.

Nora sighed, shaking her head. "Nope. Sorry, Jaune. Apparently, CRDL threw all the clothes out at the dump. Not much chance of finding anything now."

Coco snorted. "Typical. Couldn't even donate the stolen clothes."

"That's what I did with the girls' clothes they left," Jaune noted. "Figured they could do some good, at least."

"Well, you have several hoodies now. They should last a long time," Weiss said.

"It's not that I don't like these new hoodies," Jaune quickly assured her. "I love them. The Pumpkin Pete one just had a lot of sentimental value."

"I can understand that," Weiss said. "I have a brooch from my sister that means more to me than the rest of my jewelry combined."

"I'd better put these away." The bags of super-expensive clothes were starting to get a bit heavy. "Thanks so much, guys. I really-"

Coco groaned, covering her ears. "You can thank us by not thanking us anymore! Seriously!"

Jaune grinned sheepishly. "Right. Sorry. See you guys later!"

He followed Nora into the dorm, waving at Pyrrha. "Hey, guys. Ren's still studying?"

"Yep," Nora chirped. "You should probably text him before he becomes a textbook zombie."

"Textbook zombie?" Jaune raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. They walk around all dead-eyed and groan whenever light hits them. Occasionally, they'll quote 'fun facts' from any random textbook!" Nora's eyes widened dramatically.

Pyrrha chuckled. "You should consider writing short stories with ideas like that."

Nora shook her head. "Nah. No one would want to read that." She hovered by Jaune's bed while he took out his new clothes. "Ooh! Expensive! Maybe I should get Weiss to take me shopping."

"I think Jaune was a special circumstance," Pyrrha pointed out. "I doubt Weiss makes a habit of spending that much on someone. Besides, I take you shopping."

Nora zipped to her girlfriend's side. "Yes, and I love you for it!" She pecked Pyrrha's cheek, giggling when she was pulled into her lap.

Jaune watched the two with a smile before taking out his Scroll. _"Hey, Ren. I'm back and I have clothes worth more than I am. Wanna walk around the courtyard for a bit?"_

After a minute, he got a response. _"Sure. Meet you there."_

Pyrrha was standing up. "Nora and I are going to the movies, and will probably get dinner after. Are you meeting Ren?"

"Yep. You guys have fun!" After they left, Jaune set about deciding what to wear. He finally settled on one of the new pairs of jeans, a green shirt, and the brown leather jacket. _Might as well wear it and act like I'm classy, right?_

He changed out of Yatsu's shirt and adjusted his binder. _Hm. Should probably use some deodorant before I go. This thing does make me sweat a lot._ Unfortunately, masculine deodorant was the one thing he kept forgetting to buy whenever he was out, so he had just taken to using Ren's, with his boyfriend's permission.

Opening the top drawer of Ren's dresser, he rummaged around, looking for the small bottle. _Weird. He usually keeps it here. Where-?_ He froze, noticing a box near the back of the drawer. The dark blue color and silver lettering were familiar to him from several commercials. Before he could tell himself not to, he took the box out and looked at it. _Oh. My. God. These are…_

Quickly, he put the box back and closed the drawer, looking around guiltily. His mind was reeling and his face was burning. _That was a box of condoms. In Ren's drawer. Meaning that they are Ren's._

He took several deep breaths, trying to calm down. _Okay, Jaune. Don't freak out. Just…think._ If Ren had condoms, it was obvious what he was thinking about. And since there was no way in all of Remnant that Ren would ever cheat, there was only one person he could be thinking about doing _that_ with.

Jaune's heart pounded at the thought, and he found himself smiling a little despite his racing thoughts. He and Ren had never talked about taking their relationship to the next level, mostly because Jaune was too nervous to bring it up, and Ren…well, Ren only started being more of a talker recently, and that was mostly due to Jaune's need for moral support.

Was Jaune ready to be that intimate with another person? He still had some self-image problems, even though he was better about putting on his binder around his teammates. Was he ready to fully expose himself like that? He imagined Ren leaning over him, magenta eyes shining in the dim light, and his cheeks flushed even deeper.

However, a slightly uglier thought entered Jaune's mind: What if Ren had bought those while Jaune was still being called Jeanne? What if he had wanted to become more intimate earlier, but decided not to after finding out exactly what he was dating?

 _Stop that!_ Jaune firmly quashed that thought, ashamed to have even had it in his head for a second. _Don't you dare start doubting Ren now! He's been there for you every step of the way. He loves you. He's said so multiple times!_

His thoughts were so jumbled, he almost forgot to use the deodorant he had originally been looking for. He found it behind Ren's shower bag, quickly changed into his new outfit, and ran out to the courtyard to meet up with his boyfriend.

Ren was sitting on a bench by one of the garden areas. He smiled when he saw Jaune. _He looks really good! Weiss and Coco really do know their stuff. Not that he doesn't look good all the time, of course._ He stood up to kiss his boyfriend. "I like the jacket," he said as he pulled back.

"Thanks! I'm still trying to forget how much it cost," Jaune said with a nervous laugh.

Ren paused, noticing an odd expression on Jaune's face. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah! Great!" Jaune replied hurriedly. "Um, just processing the fact that Team CRDL is gone."

"Nora already told you, then. It's a shame they weren't expelled." Ren shrugged. "Do you think they'll learn their lesson?"

"No," Jaune said bluntly. "But it's okay. I think Nora plans on breaking their legs once they get back, no matter what."

"I'll conveniently forget if I happen to be there to witness that," Ren said with a wink.

The two walked around the courtyard, savoring the lack of Cardin and his cronies. Of course, Jaune knew that there were others at the school who were jerks and who would make comments to him. Several already had. Still, with the worst bullies gone, he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

That was a good thing, especially since he had a certain navy blue box taking up most of his thoughts now.

The more he thought about it, the more he really did want to have sex with Ren. But he couldn't help but worry. What if, after seeing and experiencing all of Jaune's body, Ren just couldn't view him as a man anymore? That would be horrible!

"Jaune?" Ren asked, noticing that the weird look on his boyfriend's face hadn't gone away. "What are you thinking about?"

"Huh?" Jaune jumped a little. "Uh, nothing." When Ren gave him a disbelieving look, his cheeks flushed. _Crap. I don't want to worry him again._ "I, uh… I'll tell you when we get back to the room," he finally said. _So, I have a few minutes to think about what to say. Okay, Jaune. You can do this._

Puzzled, but reassured that Jaune would tell him what was going on, Ren continued down the path. It was getting dark, and there were several large moths fluttering around the lights. He pointed them out to Jaune.

Jaune looked at them, remembering the butterfly metaphor, and smiled. "I think I'm shaping up to be a pretty awesome moth, don't you think?"

Ren laughed. "Definitely the handsomest moth I've ever seen."

Jaune could feel his face turning beet red, and he couldn't stop smiling. _Dust, he's the best!_

Ren felt himself blushing in response to Jaune's flustered, pleased expression. _He really doesn't realize how adorable he is._ That embarrassed smile and those shyly shining blue eyes caused Ren to feel warm all over.

When they got back to the dorms, Jaune felt his mouth going dry. They entered the room, which was still empty of Nora and Pyrrha, and Ren looked at him expectantly.

"So, what's going on?" he asked. "Are you okay? Is anything wrong?"

"No," Jaune said quickly. "Well…no. No, it's nothing wrong. Just trying to figure out whether. I mean…"

Ren waited patiently for Jaune to get his thoughts together. _He said it's nothing bad, so there's nothing to worry about._

Jaune took a deep breath, then spoke really quickly. "So, I was looking for the deodorant, since you said I can use it, and I went in the top drawer, but it wasn't there. I found a box, and I wasn't peeking, but I saw what it was, and…" He trailed off.

"Oh." Ren's face started burning as he rubbed nervously at the back of his neck. "That…yes. I was going to mention that…"

"When?" Jaune wondered.

"Soon. Just…wasn't sure when the right time would be." Ren looked hesitantly at Jaune's face, relieved that his boyfriend didn't look horribly freaked out. "I bought them a few days ago. After you said you loved me, well… I realized that I really wanted to take things further. I didn't want to bring it up too soon, since I know you're still working on how you feel about yourself and your body and everything."

"Yeah," Jaune muttered. "That…has been an issue. You've said over and over again that you see me as a man, but…would you still be able to if you saw…me?"

"Yes," Ren replied without hesitation. "I told you already: Before you came out, it felt as if something was off, as if there was something I wasn't being told. After you came out, everything has fallen into place. You're Jaune, not Jeanne. Nothing will change that for me."

In a second, Jaune closed the distance between them, pulling Ren into a tight hug. He felt his boyfriend's thin, strong arms come up and wrap snugly around him. "I love you so much," he sighed.

"I love you too," Ren murmured, snuggling contentedly against Jaune's front and closing his eyes. One of his absolute favorite things about Jaune was that he gave the best hugs in the world. Being pressed against that warm, larger frame made Ren feel so safe.

Jaune nuzzled Ren's hair, smelling the cherry blossom shampoo he always used. "Hey, Ren?" he whispered.

"Yes?"

Jaune licked his lips nervously. "Um, when do you think Nora and Pyrrha will be back?"

Ren shifted against Jaune, trying to get a better look at his face. He saw his boyfriend's flushed cheeks and shy smile, and immediately knew what he was asking. "I can make it so we have at least an hour." He was already taking his Scroll out of his pocket.

"Wait, you're just gonna text them?!"

"If Nora can tell us to not be in the dorm room when she and Pyrrha want alone time, I see no reason why I can't do the same." Ren typed out a quick message, then turned off his Scroll. He looked up at Jaune, then paused, unsure of how to proceed. "Should we…turn off the light, or keep it on?"

"Let's turn it off," Jaune said quickly. He watched as Ren flipped the light switch, feeling weirdly lightheaded. Was this actually happening?

Ren went to his drawer, fumbling with the condom box as he opened it. His mind was going from trying to remember what he had learned online to trying to remember how people were supposed to go about this in romance stories. _I'm probably failing the romance story approach right now,_ he thought as he ended up ripping the box open, spilling several foil packages on the floor.

"You sure you want to do this?" Jaune asked. "You seem a bit shaky." Secretly, he was feeling very relieved that Ren was just as jittery as he was.

"Yes, definitely!" Ren said, hurriedly picking up the spilled condoms and putting them in the box. "I've just never done this before." _What if I hurt him by mistake? What if I mess up? What if I don't put the condom on right and-_

"Me neither." Jaune walked over, placing a hand on Ren's shoulder. "Why don't we just…see what happens? No pressure, right?"

"Right," Ren said, taking a calming breath. "No pressure." _Just take things one step at a time. Isn't that what you're always telling everyone else to do?_

They sat down on Ren's bed, Jaune tossing his leather jacket onto his own bed before joining his boyfriend. After a moment's hesitation, Ren took the initiative to lean in and press his lips to Jaune's.

Jaune smiled, immediately comforted by the familiarity of their position. The giddy nervousness that used to fill him when he kissed Ren was completely absent now. In its place was a blissful blankness of his mind and this deeper, calm sense that came only when a person felt totally safe and secure. It was like the sensation of coming home after a long day of work. Jaune pulled Ren's hair tie out and gently combed his fingers through his long, dark locks.

Ren sighed, nestling closer as Jaune's soothing touch almost made him forget about his nervousness. He slipped his fingers through his boyfriend's short, soft hair and tugged playfully, loving the feel of Jaune's answering smile against his lips.

For a few minutes, the two simply kissed, taking their time. Tongues brushed lips, entwined, explored mouths, then withdrew. Jaune's hands wandered up and down Ren's back while Ren gripped Jaune's shoulder with one hand and cupped his cheek with the other. Everything was warm, slow, a little sleepy, and completely perfect.

It was Jaune who decided to move things along, slipping his hand under Ren's shirt and running it upward, his palm pressed against the wiry muscles of his boyfriend's back. He felt Ren stiffen in surprise, then relax again almost immediately. He broke the kiss briefly. "You'll let me know if you want to stop, right?"

Ren nodded. "Of course. You do the same."

"Right."

They leaned in again, their kiss becoming just a little more heated. Ren, emboldened by Jaune's eagerness, put his hand up the front of his shirt, stroking his boyfriend's toned abdomen. He flushed when this caused Jaune to let out a ridiculously adorable squeaking noise. He moved his hand upward, spreading his fingers as he reached Jaune's chest and felt his thundering heartbeat through the cloth of the binder. The frantic thumping against his palm sent a thrill through him, and he pressed closer, moaning quietly.

Jaune held Ren tightly, his nails digging into his back a little. He still couldn't believe this was happening, that he was actually causing Ren to lose his composure, that Ren really wanted him this much. Breaking the kiss, he moved downward, brushing his lips tentatively against Ren's throat. He felt Ren's answering groan against his mouth, and responded with a firmer kiss to the curve of his shoulder. He moved down until he reached Ren's shirt collar, at which point he pulled back and gave his boyfriend an expectant look.

Ren blinked hazily, wondering why Jaune had stopped. _Why did…? What…? Wait, my… Oh!_ Quickly, he unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it to the side. He reached for Jaune, then paused. "Um, do you want…?" _Would he rather keep that and the binder on?_

Jaune shook his head before pulling off his shirt. "No, I'm fine." He ignored the nervous flutter in his chest as he removed his binder, instead focusing on Ren's face.

Ren gazed at Jaune, his heart pounding quicker than it ever had during any battle. Slowly, he reached out, placing a hand on his boyfriend's uncovered chest. He smiled warmly, his eyes shining. "I was right: You're still Jaune," he assured him. He stared at him for a moment, shaking his head slowly. "Dust, you're beautiful."

Jaune's eyes were stinging, but there was no way he was going to start crying now! Instead, he pulled Ren against him yet again, kissing him fiercely. The feel of Ren's warm skin against his was intoxicating, and those gentle fingers stroking his hair and running along his spine were the definition of bliss. "Ren," he breathed against his boyfriend's lips. "I love you!"

"I love you too," Ren replied, his hands trailing downward, toward the hem of Jaune's jeans. He moved back a little, staring up into those bright blue eyes. "Do you want to keep going?"

Jaune felt his breathless smile turning into a full grin. "Dust, yes!"

After that, they didn't need to speak. There were a few whispered words that they already knew, a bit of awkward fumbling, then everything was overridden with pleasure and just a bit of pain.

Neither of them could have asked for more.

….

"So, Jaune," Nora said after inhaling her seventh pancake of the morning. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Nora." Jaune was pouring syrup on his own, much smaller stack of pancakes. He was gazing fondly at Ren, who was fixing up his own and Pyrrha's flapjacks at the stove, wearing that funny pink apron Nora had bought him.

" _Please do nothing to the cook." I guess I broke that rule,_ he thought with a slight smirk. He was feeling a little sore that morning, but it was by no means a bad kind of sore.

"How good is Ren in bed?" Nora asked.

Jaune's face turned bright red and he gaped at his teammate. By the stove, Ren dropped his spatula onto the counter with a clatter. Pyrrha nearly choked on her milk. There was a moment of silence, punctuated only by Nora's failed attempts to not snicker at the reaction her question had caused.

"Nora!" Pyrrha swatted her girlfriend's arm once she recovered. "That's not appropriate."

Nora shrugged, her face the picture of innocence. "What? Ren's my best friend. Can't I be a little curious?" _I should've waited till Ren sat down. His face is probably hilarious right now!_

"No more pancakes for you," Ren said flatly, keeping his gaze fixed on the skillet to hide his blushing face.

Jaune, quickly recovering, took a bite of his pancake. He checked to make sure Pyrrha wasn't looking, then flashed Nora a quick thumbs-up and a wink.

Nora giggled, causing Ren to turn and glare at her. "Aw, don't be mad!" she said, giving Ren her best puppy eyes. "I'm just messing with you."

Ren huffed as he put down the plates with his and Pyrrha's pancakes. "How would you feel if I asked Pyrrha about how you are in bed?"

Nora shrugged. "I wouldn't care." She quickly swiped a pancake from her girlfriend's plate. "I know I'm awesome. Right, sweetie?"

"You are," Pyrrha said, lightly tapping her nose. "But let's change the subject, so we don't embarrass the boys."

"Okaaaay," Nora sighed. "When's our next _Graveyards and Grimm_ session?"

"Friday, as always," Jaune said. "It may be an hour later, though. Ruby and Yang's dad wants to take them to dinner when he comes to drop off Zwei."

"Is Taiyang going on another long hunt?" Ren asked.

"I guess. Or, he could just be leaving Zwei because Weiss kept begging Ruby to bring him back."

"I feel bad for Blake," Pyrrha said.

"Eh, don't. She definitely likes Zwei. She just won't admit it."

"We should get a pet," Nora piped up.

"We already have you, don't we?" Ren asked, smirking playfully.

"Ooh!" Jaune laughed. "Buuuurn!"

"That's it! I'm killing you and eating your pancakes!"

"Pyrrha, Nora's trying to kill my boyfriend! Make her stop!"

Later on, as they finished cleaning up the kitchen, Jaune felt his Scroll buzz. "Huh?" He took it out of his pocket to see a text from his mom.

" _Hey, honey! I'm not sure if you get emails when a new package comes in the mail, but you should have gotten one yesterday. Call me once you open it. Love you!"_

The group stopped by the mailroom, where there was indeed a package in their room's cubby. Jaune blinked in surprise when he saw the sender's address. It was the Pumpkin Pete Company. Once they got back to the room, Jaune ripped open the package and let out a gasp at what was inside.

It was a brand new Pumpkin Pete hoodie, exactly like the one Team CRDL had stolen.

He picked it up, staring at it. "I didn't think they even made these anymore…" he breathed.

Ren noticed a note in the shredded packaging and picked it up, reading it out loud.

 _Dear, Mister Arc_

 _We are sorry to hear that your Limited Edition Pumpkin Pete hoodie was stolen from you. As a company, we are strong advocates against bullying of any kind. We hope that you enjoy this new hoodie, and continue to be a loyal consumer of Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes Cereal, as well as our many other products. Have a nice day._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Jack Gourd, President of the Pumpkin Pete Company._

Jaune hugged the hoodie to his chest, smelling the new-clothes smell that came from it. "Mom must've emailed them," he realized. "After I told her about what happened to our room."

He had come out to his family via the phone just a few days after coming out to all of his friends. His younger sisters had been a little confused, but adjusted quickly. His parents, though they still mistakenly called him Jeanne when he called, had encouraged their son to be himself and assured him that he was free to come home if he ever needed to.

Wiping his eyes, Jaune put on the new hoodie. It fit perfectly!

"Looking good," Ren noted, unable to keep from smiling at the bright, elated expression on his boyfriend's face. "Not that you don't always."

Jaune grinned. "Thanks!" He took out his Scroll and sat down on his bed. As he dialed his mom's number, Ren sat down next to him, leaning against his side. Jaune wrapped an arm around his shoulders and touched a kiss to his brow just as his mom picked up the phone.

"Hi, Jeanne!" There was a pause. "Whoops! I'm sorry, Jaune."

"It's fine, Mom," Jaune assured her. "I just got the hoodie. Thank you so much! How did you even convince them to send me a new one?"

"Oh, it was easy. All I had to do was send some pictures of you in the hoodie and explain the situation. They were very excited to hear that a Huntsman is wearing their merchandise. I also might have mentioned Pyrrha Nikos being your partner."

"I'm sure that helped," Jaune laughed. "How are you guys?"

"We're just fine, dear. Nothing really different is going on. What about you? How are you and your friends? Are things going well with Ren?"

Jaune glanced at Ren, who was smiling up at him. _I'd say things are going well, but I think I'll leave out just_ how _well._ "We're doing pretty great, Mom," he answered honestly. "Never been better, actually."

As he talked to his mom, he continued to hold Ren gently against him, feeling his boyfriend's even breaths and watching him start to doze just a little. He watched Pyrrha and Nora as the two set up the team's shared video game console, and listened to the faint bustling in Team RWBY's room across the hall.

It was hard to believe that he had been so scared to be himself just a few weeks ago. Looking at his friends, feeling his boyfriend snuggled against him, taking comfort in the warmth of the hoodie from his mom, he knew now that everything was going to be fine.

There would, of course, be difficult days in his future, like when Team CRDL had ransacked the room. More importantly, however, there would be moments when pure joy would overwhelm anything else, like the night he and Ren had shared.

He just had to keep pushing through the bad times and remember that there were far more good times waiting for him.

 **This fourshot turned out to be a great way to explore four aspects of being trans (and any alternate gender identity, really) that I've noticed coming up a lot when talking with people I know: initially coming out to your loved ones, dealing with assholes and bigots, dealing with your own insecurities, and coming to terms with your sexuality and how it relates to your gender identity. The sexual aspect, I've noticed, is often either brushed over in fiction or done poorly, so I hope I did it justice here. Since this is a T fic, there was only so much I could do.**

 **Fun fact: Imago is the name for the final phase in an insect's metamorphosis. It's also the only phase when the creature is sexually mature. Since I went with the moth theme for this fic, I felt that it fit.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this Pride Month fic, and that you'll keep fighting for equality, no matter what month of the year it is. Whoever you are, however you identify, you aren't alone. Remember that.**

 **If you like what you see and want to show extra support in exchange for rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.**

 **For writing tips, prompts, top 10 lists, and fandom rants from yours truly, check out my blog at soloragoldsun dot wordpress dot com.**

 **Peace out!**


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